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(PF: R) Arkansas
Agent Arkansas, nicknamed''' Ark', '''Snoipeh', Deadshot and John by friends, is a member of Project Freelancer: Rebirth. He serves as one of the sharpshooters. Backstory Agent Arkansas, real name John Marshall Reed, was born on March 25th, 2729 in England to an unknown mother and father. He was left on the doorstep of the town's orphanage, where he remained for another eighteen years. He lived alone with the kind caretakers and other orphans, which led to him having trouble with "close" relationships, romantic and family wise. Instead, he was a great friend type. Notably, John supposedly dropped "off the grid" for three years following his seventeenth birthday, but reappeared a week before his twentieth. No one knows what happened to him, but he didn't seem as trusting around others afterward. It is assumed that whatever occurred during his three year disappearance caused his "abnormal brain waves." He has strange spikes in alpha, beta, and gamma rays, which comes into an important play later on in his life. On his twentieth birthday, John joined the UNSC in order to "do some good with his life." He quickly found a niche as a sharpshooter and CQB specialist, especially with knives and his custom-made bolt-action sniper rifle. After training, John went on a long-term tour of the galaxy, aging nine years. Eventually, his skill reached the ears of the Director of Project Freelancer: Rebirth, who personally sent an invitation to join the program. John accepted and went through orientation. He passed and became Agent Arkansas. He does eventually find out who his parents were, and visits their graves to pay his respects, despite the fact he never really knew them. Project Freelancer: Rebirth Arkansas' Darkside: The Price of Revenge The Beginning A day or so after York's death, Connecticut, Maine, and Arkansas were tasked with removing insurrectionist forces from a vital UNSC Oil Platform. During the briefing, the Director says to use any force necessary but to spare the workers if possible. As the other agents left, the Director asked Arkansas to stay. Then, he let it slip that Arkansas knew the man leading the insurrectionists, and hints that he nearly killed Arkansas in the past. Ark grows cold and nods before leaving. Along the way to the planet, Maine and Arkansas bicker while CT looks on. He silently notes that Ark seems to have become more aggressive, nearly on par with Texas, since the Director asked him to stay. They land and make their way to the plant, eliminating any rebels along the way. Upon entering the general vicinity, the man leading the insurrectionists announces that they have company, and that he'll kill them himself should they retreat. Revelations Arkansas decides that then is a good time to reveal a ten year secret. As the team neared a bridge, Ark tells them he needs to get something off his chest. Maine watches on silently as Ark says that the man in charge is named Marco, and that he and John (Ark) worked together a long time ago, forming a crime syndicate. They were best friends until Marco decided that they could go down to street muggings instead of high class robberies. Upon John's refusal, Marco had John's personal guard restrain him while he beat him to a pulp with a metal bar. Marco then proceeded to press a gun against John's head and pulled the trigger. CT voices skeptisism, distrust, and amazement that Arkansas - the apparently not-so-physically strong and happy-go-lucky sniper - survived a gunshot. John defends his hatred for Marco, and explains that the "most stubborn of people can survive anything...rage is a hell of an anesthetic." The three proceed into the oil factory, where Marco appears and mocks Arkansas for going "good" despite his crimes. Ark reaches for his assault rifle, but Marco points out that he has height and numbers, and dares Ark to give him a reason to gun him down again. Ark darts forward, aiming for a gas pipe behind Marco. The rebel leader mocks the Freelancer's eye sight, before Ark says "fry, you son of a bitch!" and shoots the pipe. The pipe explodes, wounding Marco and killing off several rebels. Ark begins slamming the butt of his gun against the main gas line, causing a rupture and opening a way to catch up to Marco. "True" Personality CT, enraged that Arkansas was being careless, berates him for risking the lives of the workers there, but the younger Freelancer dismisses his concerns and proceeds onward. CT and Maine begrudgingly follow. CT's point is proven later on, as a worker who managed to escape appears on a catwalk above them, and requests help in shutting off the valves, as the flames have spread and risk the destruction of the entire plant. Arkansas remains adamant in killing Marco, and ignores CT's orders to save the civillians, forcing him to send Maine after Arkansas to ensure he survives while CT goes off to shut off the valves. Catching Up Arkansas manages to catch up to Marco, and fires his M6G, hitting a container of gas. The gas leaks in front of Marco, who doesn't notice as he frighteningly turns to Arkansas. He begs his partner to spare his life, slowly trying to get away. Arkansas ignores his pleas and shoots him in the knee cap, causing him to collapse in the pool of gas. Marco pleads to Arkansas, then to Maine, who silently watches on. Arkansas draws a cigarrette and a lighter, igniting the stick and taking a drag. He then flicks it into the pool of gas, wishing Marco luck in hell. He turns and walks away as the flames consume Marco. The flames catch up to the gas tank and explode, killing the rebel leader instantly. CT catches up to them, angry that Ark would risk the lives of more than thirty people, most likely having a family like he does, just to kill one man. Ark justifies his actions, saying that if Marco got away, more people with families would have been placed in harm's way and that he was doing those people a favor. CT and Arkansas nearly get into a firefight but, surprisingly, Maine steps in just as the transport back to the base arrives. The Director, pleased at how the mission ended, moves Arkansas up to number ten. In reality, the mission was the first testing of Nexus, a mind-control chip installed in the helmet of an agent. Arkansas proved that it could work, unknowingly performing the Director's orders without objection. Repercussions Nevada eventually catches up to Arkansas and voices her displeasure at Arkansas' decision. Arkansas, having enough of everyone questioning his morals, curses her out and tells her to leave him alone. He even goes so far to threaten to not save her should she be stuck in a firefight with no way out. Nevada punches him in the face and storms off. Soon afterward, Arkansas began having troubling mental fits, often holding his head and exclaiming he hears "voices" that tell him to do "bad things." It escalated to the point where he managed to nearly kill Maine, as he assumed the other man was responsible for his distress. He was detained and had medical tests performed. As it turned out, Nexus had an adverse affect on Ark's psyche, and the Director had the chip immediately removed to ensure no more "incidents" occurred. With the chip gone, Ark eventually calmed down with absolutely no memory on what happened the past two days. He questions Carolina, who explained what happened. Saddened and guilt ridden over his actions, Arkansas apologized to Nevada and began to rebuild their friendship. He even went so far as apologizing to Maine. York's Legacy Arkansas, along with Nevada, appears during the present section of the prologue, arriving to Carolina's room with Sharon Brown in tow. Ark exhibits surprise when Sharon uses Carolina's real name but waves it off. Ark reminded Carolina to introduce his friend and acknowledges Sharon as York's ex-wife. After Sharon tries to get Carolina to open up, Arkansas jokes that Maine, Texas, North, and Wash would look down on him for doing so. Ark turns when ordered to by Carolina as he prepares to remove his helmet, but takes a small peek out of the corner of his eye. Later, Ark and Nev stand outside the base as Sharon prepares to leave, with Arkansas promising to make sure "Carolina doesn't do anything extreme" and that she can "count on him." He then proceeds to ignore the joking banter between the two women. Arkansas is present during the fight between Carolina and the three agents from Project Valhalla. He venomously asks Tex why Carolina seems to have the fight, and later on exhibits shock that his friend isn't up to par in terms of fighting. After it's over, Ark and Nev rush to Caro's side. The agent asks Ark if he wants to "test out some weapons" later, confusing Ark. Ark later comes by Caro's room to see how he's doing, and humorously asks him if his pressure pad for his door requires a full body slam. Ark offers some jokes on how to deal with York's death, even commenting that he'd seen a "scorpion tank run you over" and that all it did was "make him mad." They link up with Nev and they see him off on his two week vacation. Ark and Nev are later seen commenting on Project Valhalla's weapon, which Ark openly hopes is a rifle, as he "is good with rifles." Nevada claims he's not much good at anything else, implying sexually when questioned just before walking off. Ark chases after her, trying to convince her of otherwise. In his attempt to convince Nevada otherwise, Ark unintentionally angers her to the extent that she could be heard three doors away. Really confused, the sniper is greatful when Sharon knocks on the door, finding an excuse to get away from his angry friend. He opens it to discover Sharon on the other side, who then asks for both of their help after explaining what happened to Katie. She leads them to the hangar where they meet up with Carolina, and Ark questions where Project Valhalla was heading. He then expresses shock at the fact they're going to the planet Carolina had decimated. He joins his teammates and Sharon on the pelican as the widow takes them in pursuit. The Training Session Sometime after York's Legacy and The Price of Revenge, Ark, alongside CT and Maine, volunteered for a simple training session against South Dakota in a three-on-one fight. The training session was impromptu, with everyone else learning about it after the first round started. When mostly everyone arrived, the first round had began and it was melee oriented. As predicted, the team of three were decimated by South, who managed to secure Ark behind him with one of his pugel sticks. Ark was released and immediately knocked back to the ground, easily defeated by the more fit freelancer. The next round became an unarmed round. The beginning was rocky for the three man team, with Maine often rushing ahead to try and score some hits. CT and Ark attempted coordination and began to attack at the same time, with Maine joining them after a while. South managed to gain the upper hand and knock CT and Maine out of the fight for some time. Ark, on the other hand, managed to keep up with the other man's moves and eventually went on the defensive. Ark's defense irritated South enough to charge into him, slam him against the wall, and attempt to bash his face in with a single punch. Ark managed to move his head out of the way and knee South in the gut, just as Maine arrived to deliver a kick to his back. The three then joined up and went away at the disoriented South, scoring their own point. Officially, they were tied. The weapons round begins afterward, with South easily dominating the trio once again. This brings Ark to remember the moments before the session, with the Director giving them live rounds and a grenade each to "win, no matter what". While he is hesitant to do so, he goes through with it and joins CT and Maine again to try and win. Things don't go too well, with CT getting dominated easily while he took point, leaving Maine and Ark to try and win the round. Ark gives his remaining teammate his grenade and covers him while he goes on to engage South in one on one. Spinning around the pillar to shoot South in the back, he discovers Maine incapacitated, with his fist stuck against the pillar. South tries to get Ark to forfeit, but he denies and engages South alone. Maine manages to break free and tries to knock South out by knocking the pillar CT is stuck in into him, but his target manages to dodge and Ark gets hit instead. South quickly beats Maine down, but not before he chucks his grenade at South. The other agent smoothly steps to the side, letting the grenade sail past and land right in front of Ark's face. It exploded, knocking Ark back. He was immediately carted away by medical personnel. Upon awakening and let to sit up, he is visited by Carolina and Nevada, who are relieved to see he is relatively fine but surprised to see that he is missing an eye and his entire face is bandaged. The sniper exhibits regret for going through with the Director's orders, and is angered when he discovers that he was moved to 6th on the board, replacing Texas. When confronted by Carolina and Nevada, Ark admitted he was hesitant to go through with the orders, but did so anyways for unknown reasons. He still exhibits regret, and remains certain that he doesn't need to be reprimanded by his friends when he already has received "punishment" for his actions. He then requests them to leave so he can think. Appearance Like all the other agents, Ark's armor is a customized Mk.VI armor with a RECON helmet, EVA shoulders and a recon Mk.VI chest plate. The whole armor is colored a light silver. He stands at five feet ten inches (the fourth shortest member of Rebirth), and is lean, not muscular in any way, shape or form. He has the average skin tone for most men, with sage green eyes and auburn hair, which is spiked up a little in the front while the rest is flat . Parts of Ark's body are marred with the occasional odd scar, each with it's own story. A single scar on the left side of his head is from a gunshot, a trio of scars along his stomach are from violent stabs with a knife, and a scar on his right arm is from where his bone pierced through his skin. He also has a tattoo of a vortex on his back, overlapping over a circle. The circle is colored a steel, while on part of the vortex is red and the other part is blue. Ark simply said, when first asked, that it is a way to remember where he came from. The same symbol is imprinted on his armor's shoulders, and on the right side of his chest piece. Following a botched training session, Ark has begun to wear an eye patch over his left eye socket, having had it removed after it sustained damage from an explosion right in front of him. He is also peppered with many scars from the same incident. Personality John tends to be happy-go-lucky, boisterous, and friendly to all but a few of the members of Rebirth. Due to growing up in an orphanage to no real relatives, John views everyone as a potential friend and, as such, often idly talks with them before, during and after missions to get to know them better. This has also made him a bit more perceptive, able to read most emotions and deduce why a certain person feels that way. Sadly, this doesn't work on Nevada, which often leaves him confused. However, he has a tendency to show jealousy toward the more stronger and fit agents in the program, Carolina specifically. Often seeing his skills first hand, Ark feels like it makes him "worthless", but doesn't really say this aloud around anyone. That is, until he had enough. Lately, however, he seems to have forgone this type of thinking and has reverted back to his regular personality, thanks to a talk-to by Caro. When it comes to people he dislikes, which is rather rare, John is sarcastic and quite blunt. He tends to openly mock higher, more deadly freelancers like Texas or North Dakota, but they appear to pay no mind to it all. When asked by North why he dislikes him, he responds with, "People earn respect. Not everyone's handed it on a silver platter." While in combat, Ark is the exact opposite of how he acts otherwise. He tends to insult his opponents and victims and gloats with glee upon killing someone with an "awesome move." This has disturbed some other agents, who often compare this change to Wyoming. A notable trait of Ark's is his claustrophobia: Ark is not exactly used to the comfort of his own room and soft beds, seeing as he grew up in a not-so-great orphanage, often sleeping in enclosed spaces with his fellow orphans and friends. As a result, he doesn't very much like enclosed spaces, taking up residence in the hangar bay, seeing as it has wide open spaces. Because of his decision, he often spends his freetime either in his "room" repairing weapons, other oddities the other agents need help with, or even helping other military mechanics fix non-working vehicles. On top of that, Ark has several other phobias: a fear of spiders, bats, snakes, heights, and large bodies of water. Ark is also more emotional than most others, as seen when one gets critically injured or died. This is seen when York dies. The two hardly had any interaction, but Ark respected him and was devasted when York died, leading to a couple days of solitude. This is also seen when Texas, South and Maine die. This resulted in a hobby of occasionally traveling to the Freelancer Memorial, created by some of the workers on the Mother of Intervention Mk.II who respected them, and often standing there for hours looking at the names printed, signifying who had left. Skills and Abilities Arkansas holds many unique skills, often standing out as an "overwatch sniper" and a "front-line soldier" combined into one essence. Because of this, Arkansas is ranked "Number Ten" on the Freelancer board. Arkansas' skill can be comparable to the original North Dakota's skills, as both serve as really good snipers and have a preference for SMG's as back-up weapons. Both are also pretty agile and flexible compared to most other freelancers. He also synergizes well with more close quarters combatants, mostly Nevada, similar to the North/South team. Sharpshooting Arkansas maintains intense focus while looking through the scope of a sniper rifle, nearly to the point where it seems time slows down. This allows him to easily pick out numerous targets on a single battlefield and take down the most important ones, giving his teammates enough time to move up and flank the enemy. His situational awareness also applies to his immediate surroundings, allowing him to keep his eye on the scope and also keep an eye on his back. Ark's weapon of choice for long ranged combat is a sniper rifle he built from spare parts. The scope has a unique "variable zoom," allowing him to zoom in and out for farther or closer targets. It holds a total of ten rounds in one clip and has an extra clip tapped to the side, giving it extended and dual magazines. The front barrel of the rifle is also applicable with silencers, giving Ark a large mode of possible engagement modes. Surprisingly, Ark also added a bolt-action to the rifle itself, in spite of it's previous semi-auto ability. Mid/Close-Ranged Combat Arkansas, to compensate for his apparent lack in self-defense in close range, often equips himself with either dual SMGs - the only agent doing so - or an MA5C Assault Rifle. He typically only uses it when in immediate danger at mid-to-short range, and is not too shabby with the weapons themselves. His new enhancement, Overshields, allows him to survive longer out in a firefight. Ark seems to show preference for the SMG over the Assault Rifle, primarily due to the ability to dual wield them. He doesn't use grenades at all, which gives him the opening to depend on more than one gun. And the more the guns he has, the more likely he'll come out unscathed from a firefight. Blade Work Arkansas keeps two australian made knives tucked away in sheaths attached to his hips, called "Kukris." They are often made with a notable "bend" in the blade, giving them more power when slashing downward. As a result, Ark prefers them when the enemy gets too close for comfort. He is highly skilled with them, able to evade and slash whenever there is an opening. Focus A notable trait the sharpshooter possesses is his focus. They're most likely caused by the speed of his jet boosters, making him used to sudden spins in mid air and "from-the-hip" shooting. He also adapts these abilities to other tactics, often in training sessions to help him out-last most other freelancers. His focus lets him analyze a person's movements, allowing him to plan in advance. Agility and Flexibility Arkansas is incredible agile and flexible, moreso than any other male in the program. He is the best at evasion of physical attacks, and uses this to perform "tick bites" against his opponents. He can also perform flips and easily "phase" around his opponent to get away into breathing room. In fact, the only freelancer who can ultimately keep up with him and bring him down a vast majority of the time is Agent Carolina. If he goes for one on one fights without his fighting style, most members can easily defeat him. Notably, his flexibility comes into play when he uses his jets. At one moment, seperated from the team and on the roof of a skyscraper, he literally leapt off and managed to avoid all the debris that was sent flying from the crumbling building, managing to twist and turn through any openings he could see. He has since dubbed that jump "The Jump of God". Close Quarters Battles As mentioned below, Ark isn't the strongest or durable freelancer in the program, but this is also doubles as a positive trait. Due to being smaller in frame, and thinner, Ark can maintain his endurance to avoid most attacks and retaliate with "tick bites", as mentioned above. These are primarily meant to enrage his opponent and make them do reckless things, while also draining their energy. Ultimately, Ark is designed to outlast opponents through evasive maneuvers. Though, after having a talk with Carolina about his importance, Ark eventually asked Maine and Texas to train him in terms of surviving prolonged battles with stronger opponents who could also keep up with him. The pair agreed, and Ark, after sometime, became a relatively stronger than before, and much more durable. This is shown as, during a training session with Maine, Ark managed to take multiple straight on punches to the face without any reaction other than a grunt of pain and mutter of "hope I didn't break my nose". Interrogations Arkansas is an expert interrogator, being able to make the tightest mouth open after just a few mutters of threats and the brandishing of a knife. He's been described as a "sadistic bastard" when in the interrogation room and how some are glad he's only like that in that room. If the interrogation takes too long, and Ark gets frustrated, he resorts to physical "torture", in a sense, such as knocking someone to the ground and stepping on their neck, or to beating their face in. Mechanics Ark is also amazingly skilled with mechanics, coming from years of being the odd one out to fix numerous "accidental wrecks" in the orphanage. Eventually, he took to lessons on how to fix and configure items, and became a one of a kind mechanic. He often fixes certain items for other agents, going so far as fixing and recalibrating Maine's brute shots. He also has limited skill in fixing wrecked armor enhancements, and often fixes vehicles in his spare time. Because of this, he took up residence in the Mother of Intervetion's hangar instead of the basic rooms supplied to the agents. His skill is not restricted to fixing items. Ark has constructed his own sniper rifle from the skeletal remains of one of the supplied rifles in the MOI's armory, going so far as increasing the zoom function, making it applicable with a silencer, increasing the amount of ammunition in a clip and decreasing it's weight. Weaknesses Arkansas is not the most physically strong Freelancer in the program, and is likely to be the weakest in terms of strength and durability. When it comes to most one on one fights, Ark is typically the one to lose. In reality, he depends more on evasive, "tick bite" hits to take down bigger opponents, but most other Freelancers are both big, strong, and agile. Arkansas is also very caring for close friends, admitting that he'd die to save them if they were in danger. This has yet to be exploited but there's always a chance for it to be used. Arkansas' intense focus can also be used against him. As he tends to focus more on what goes on in his scope, he lacks the situational awareness of what goes on behind him, which can lead to unexpected attacks from behind. This is somewhat countered by the assistance of a spotter or guard. Armor Enhancement Arkansas' armor enhancement was, unlike other freelancers whom had their armor enhancement removable and mostly unseen, built into his armor and a very prominent feature. It was more specifically placed on the back of both shoulders and on the bottom of his boots. The enhancement itself is a Jet Boosters which enable Arkansas to fly and boost himself. The Jet Boosters were based off of old UNSC Jet Pack technology. Because of it's unique design, agents such as Maine and Virginia cannot capture this armor ability. The jets also make Arkansas the best choice for zero gravity missions or locations. Due to the speed of the jets, Arkansas trained himself to be a good shot even when using it. As a result, he's used to sniping and gunning down targets at high speed. This has also led to his high perception and agility, along with flexibility. The enhancement itself has a unique feature: it's solar powered. While in direct sun exposure, the power decreases and increases simultaneously, meaning power at 100% stays there. While in the dark or at night, the power slowly goes down; at least 2% per minute. Ark often only works day missions, and often drops out of missions requiring darkness and stealth because of this. However, Ark has acquired, through unknown means, a Dark Matter Convertor, allowing a continuous collection of energy. The energy has been noted as used during night time operations, effectively compensating for Arks' dependance on back-up energy. In reality, because of the working relationship between South Carolina and Arkansas, South gave Ark a backup generator. Following York's Death, Ark was given his Overshields as a part of his will. This has led to a much more durable fighter when it comes to straight on firefights, something Ark is greatly for, as this, along with the DMC and his Jets, makes him a more versatile fighter, able to adapt to most situations. Relationships Project Freelancer: Rebirth Members Arkansas has many notable positive relationships, as well as some notable antagonistic relationships, with fellow agents and the head staff of Rebirth. The Director Arkansas doesn't seem to care for the Director too much, simply performing orders without objection. But, should something need to be changed, he'll definitely change it, much to the Director's chagrin. Recently, Ark has slowly become more and more disillusioned with the Director and his goals after implementing the Nexus project, and has began to lividly hate him. The Counselor Arkansas is surprisingly comfortable around the Counselor, admittedly sharing secrets that the couldn't share with anyone else with him. However, due to the Couselor's loyalty to the Director, and Ark's growing hate for the Director, they no longer speak to one another. Agent North Dakota North is the only other person Arkansas absolutely hates, which is odd since North respects him. Arkansas hates him because of his arrogance and the fact that the Director favors him above all others, and the fact that he hates his best friend, Carolina. North, on the other hand, respects Ark for his skill with a sniper rifle and his "standing out" amongst the other agents despite not being on the board. Eventually, Arkansas discovered that North was the cause of Utah's death. This led to the challenge for the title "Number One", which ended with North's death. Agent Maine Both Ark and Maine hate each other to no end, sparking from a simple training session between the two. They continue to mock each other's skill, with Ark saying that Maine's a "bumbling brute with no maneuverability", while Maine calls Ark a "little chicken who can't face anyone in a fair, one on one fight". They both have nicknames for one another, "Annoying Little Prick" for Ark and "Fucking Fishbowl" for Maine. Despite this, they never fight in any way, shape or form and, once, Ark knowingly repaired Maine's brute shots, and even tweaked them to give them an edge. This hints that Ark is a little bit of a softy and doesn't actually hate Maine. Maine is Ark's biggest rival. Eventually, the pair warm up to one another and, much to everyone's surprise, become good friends. This (nearly) gave Carolina and Nevada a "heart attack", as they both knew how well they hated each other. It was all in good humor though. Following Maine's death in the fight with the Cyborg, Ark was, out of the three who had seen it, the most visibly shaken and saddened by Maine dying. However, he puts the emotions aside, knowing that Maine wouldn't want him to mourn too long. Agent Connecticut Arkansas likes Connecticut because of his open and trustworthy personality. He often chats with CT before and after missions, and tries to mantain peace between CT, Carolina, and Maine. It hasn't been very successful so far. The two nearly killed each other while on a mission but they were halted by Maine. Following this, the two haven't been on good terms. Agent South Carolina Arkansas was initially curious about the aggressive yet secretive agent and personally asked the Director for more information, being denied for the sole reason of him not having any information. Ark, despite the warnings of possible death by the other agents, began his attempts to get to know Caro. After the first few tries, Caro had one thing to say to Ark: "Will you shut up?! You're going to bust my ears!" That was the first milestone of success. Eventually, Ark managed to break through Caro's icy outside and enter Caro's even icier inside, essentially becoming one of his friends. Ark respects Caro, sympathizing about being underestimated (do to the constant mocking of snipers) and takes his advice to heart. He often considers Caro to be an older brother. Ark secretly harbors jealousy toward Caro because of his skills and his reputation, despite the fact the cost for his superiority was almost too great. However, this has faded, and there is no longer any jealousy or animosity generated by Ark against Caro. Ark died attempting to protect Carolina and Nevada, essentially wiping out half an army for their safety. Despite his attempts, Carolina died soon after by the remains. This demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice his life to save Carolina, who he, deep down, loved deeply. Agent Washington Arkansas has grown to have small conversations with Washington, trying a new strategy of "going slow" instead of "prying" like he has in the past. He has no current opinion of Washington. Agent Wyoming Similar to Wyoming's personality, Arkansas goes from enjoying his fellow Freelancers jokester persona to despising the cold, calculating one, though he does often compare Wyoming to some of the other marines he knew during his tenure in the UNSC so Ark finds Wyoming tolerable. They tend to joke around before and after missions. Agent South Dakota Ark has tried on numerous occasions to get through South's icy exterior, hoping the fact that they trained together to enter Rebirth would help. Sadly, it has not and Ark has decided Dakota's a lost cause. Agent Nevada Around the time Arkansas first joined the program, both he and Nevada were close friends to the point where she used his first name and he nicknamed her "Kitty". They spent most of their time poking fun at one another, having shooting contests, and practicing hand-to-hand/knife combat. They also often bicker back and forth while off duty. However, later on, following the oil platform mission, their friendship crumbled and both have refused speaking to each other. Ark eventually managed to apologize to Nevada for his behavior and their friendship continued. They quickly resumed their joking attititude, with Nevada often poking fun at his own sexuality and Ark joking at her admiration of herself. Although the two have reconciled following their falling out, Arkansas is mildly conflicted about his past feelings for his female friend. Part of him wants to move on, while the other wants to stay with her. This has resulted in humorous and humiliating situations with him when she's around. Eventually, Ark decided to apologize with words and a small gift. He approached Nev alone and gave her a small, gold locket of unknown origin and said "Will you forgive me for being the biggest idiot alive?" Even though she accepted, she pointed out that she was already seeing someone, though Ark is unsure of her being truthful or not, considering how she likes to mess with him. Ark died trying to protect Nevada and Carolina, with only the former surviving the mission. This ultimately proved that he deeply loved her and, similar to Carolina, would die to ensure their safety. Agent Texas Arkansas is notably wary around Texas. He is visibly disgusted by Texas' MO and confrontational personality. He does attempt to "play nice" around him, but often exhibits grated nerves from Texas' teasing toward the other members of the program he's on good terms with. Ark has been noted to get into scuffles occasionally with Texas but nothing too serious. However, Ark eventually challenged Texas to a one on one fist fight. Somehow, the victor was kept secret and Ark and Texas refuse to comment on it. However, when the two are alone, they grin and admit "That was one hell of a fight." This hints that Ark is warming up to Texas. Ark was also shocked when Tex died, surprised that the tank of a man was overwhelmed. Like all the other deaths, Ark was visibly saddened and took a couple days to mourn. Agent Utah Ark considers Utah a good friend, which Utah thinks likewise. Ark is currently the only person who doesn't think degradingly of Utah, which he takes with immense gratitude. In reality, Ark is the object of Utah's affection, but most of his hints and advances go right over Ark's head, to Utah's annoyance and disappointment. They remain a good, steady friendship despite this. Ark once admits that he and Utah are alike in more ways than one, and that he might be his best friend ever. Utah shared this sentiment. Utah's death absolutely devasted Ark to the point of him shutting himself off from everyone. The Director (in an odd show of kindness), gave Ark time off to mourne the death of his friend. He spent much of the time curled up on his cot, eyes closed in remembrance of his good friend, and going over the fact that Utah loved him. Ultimately deciding Utah wouldn't want him to cry over his death, Ark managed to get over it and move on, though he still grows sad when anyone mentions him. Agent New York Arkansas trusts York enough to admit how he feels for Nevada, and often asks for any advice on how to handle a possible relationship. The most York can say is "wait and see." Ark takes York's words to heart and thanks him. He was saddened by York's death and took a couple days to mourne. Following the reading of York's will, Ark was surprised to discover that his overshields were given to him. Ark mentally thanked York, saying he'll use it well. Virginia Ark likes Virginia. He views her as a friend and often takes her advice to heart. He has noticed that she tends to get flushed when ending a conversation with Nevada, and has overheard the topic ending with large breasts. He managed to deduce that Virginia was ashamed of her supposedly flat chest, but has ultimately kept it to himself. West Virginia Ark admittedly doesn't like West. Although he initially tried to be friendly to West, the other agents persistance to either stay away from Ark or attacking when getting too close eventually made him get fed up. If there is a fight and they come to blows, Ark doesn't regret a thing. Sharon Brown Arkansas, when initially hearing that she (a civillian) was allowed on the Mother of Intervention from time to time, was surprised and adament that she keep her distance from "his" hangar. His negative feelings eventually faded upon hearing praise and stories about her from both York and Carolina. He physically met her after York's death, in which they both arrived at Caro's room to comfort him. Although they don't interact much, they are introduced to one another. Following this, Sharon makes sure both he and Nev promise to keep an eye on Caro and help when needed. He sincerely promises his support. Later on, his trust and friendship is demonstrated when he willingly goes along with Nev, Sharon and Caro to save Katie, Sharon's daughter. Katie Brown Arkansas hasn't physically met Katie, but hears stories about her from Caro, and think she's a cool kid. He willingly goes along with Caro and Nev to save her from Project Valhalla and it's Director. Project Valhalla Members Arkansas has yet to physically meet any Valhalla agents, but has heard of them and respects them for the work he's heard them perform. Odin Baldr Frigga Loki Death Arkansas is gravely wounded, having been caught in an explosion. The explosion resulted in his Dark Matter Converter's destruction and the short-curcuiting of his jet boosters, making him completely helpless. Carolina and Nevada help escort him to an abandoned town, stopping to patch him up. The do so to the best of their abilities, but discover a massive army is out to hunt down the trio. Knowing he'd just slow them down, Ark forces the two to continue on without him, leaving him behind to try and stall the army. Despite his wounds, Ark managed to hold back his pain and occasional bouts of delirium to continue to fight. He fights long and hard, performing superhumanly against the massive army. Ultimately, it's only Ark, his overshields, an M6C pistol and an Assault Rifle against roughly half the original army. Eventually though, he is quickly overwhelmed, making a final stand with the previously mentioned weapons. Ark is knocked to the ground and stabbed in the chest, killing him instantly. Just as the knife is embed itself into his chest cavity, Ark quite literally sees his life flash before his eyes. Afterward, as the knife digs itself deep, he hears the voices of everyone he's met (freelancers, orphan friends, even his parents) telling him he did them proud and they will miss him. Smiling, Ark passes on happy. Notable Quotes and Conversations Trivia *Arkansas' rifle is actually based off the "Intervention" from the series Modern Warfare in Call of Duty. *Arkansas' shoulder jets were actually based off of the new anti-gravity boosters added to the RiG's in the game, Dead Space 2. *Arkansas' name stems from the name of the man who voices the Director from the canon Red vs Blue series. *Arkansas shares several, unintended similarities with another Freelancer character by the same creator. Said Freelancer is Agent California, a fanon agent during the first project. **Both use kukris in case an enemy gets too close. **Both fill in a support role, Cal being a heavy weapons and explosives specialist, and Ark being a sharpshooter and rifleman. **Both have similar early backgrounds: i.e. both were orphans. **Both fill in a "mediator" part in both of their respective programs. **Similarly, Ark shares many similarities to the original North Dakota. *Arkansas' theme song is Another Song About the Weekend by A Day To Remember. *Arkansas has, apparently, never heard of or seen a chicken before, as evidenced by one of his quotes. It could be possible that he was just being sarcastic but with him, you can never tell. **He also states that he might have accidently impregnated a woman seventeen years ago, but this is false. He has previously stated that he was a virgin, and if he had slept with the woman, he would've been twelve at the time. *Ark is the only main freelancer character in York's Legacy to not have any type of "superhuman" ability. *Arkansas' death mirrors Noble Six's death at the end of Halo: Reach. **Similarly, the weapons he uses in his final stand are nearly the same as the weapons Noble Six uses. **Also, the weapons used are preferred weapons of Carolina and Nevada. An M6C is Carolina's preferred pistol, and the Assault Rifle is Nevada's primary weapon. *Similar to Carolina, who tends to quote Commander Shepard from Mass Effect, Ark tends to quote another character from Mass Effect, Garrus Vakarian. *Something of note is that Ark has somehow managed to procure an old military grade cot to sleep on. *Ark's tatoo seems to resemble the Vector Team Symbol from The Freelancer Chronicles in terms of shape. *The nickname "Snoipeh" is a reference to the Sniper class from Team Fortress 2, and the way he himself says his title. Category:Project Freelancer: Rebirth Category:York's Legacy Character